


赤い鬼と翼の夜: Crimson Ghoul, Winged Night

by liquorcanini



Category: Hiraya (Karanduun), Karanduun (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Action, Bancho AU, DMS>???, F/M, Gore, Sukeban AU, hnmmmmnmnm?, i love u martinez, malapit na matapos, martinday brainrot?, oh my god i lveo itruhegm/, sukebancho au, uhhhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27346087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liquorcanini/pseuds/liquorcanini
Summary: fsdklkllkklklklklklklMartinday Sukeban/Bancho AU, it's very good and I love them,.
Relationships: Martinday
Kudos: 5





	1. 1章

**Author's Note:**

> La La Lost You, Location Unknown, Lover Boy hehe

Martinez didn’t know why he was called up to the rooftop of all places by Inday. He wore his polo and black pants as mandated by the school, but he let hang from his shoulders his formal uniform jacket, and he shoved his ID into his pocket, letting the lace hang loose and down.

Martinez wondered, as he took the next step up the stairs, why Inday had called him here.

“Eh? What, finally wanting to give me a kiss?” He had grinned, removing the cigarette from his lips as he bared his teeth.

Inday, straightfaced and without a crease on her uniform, had said: “Just be there, 4:30, after class. If you don’t, I’ll call you a coward.”

Martinez had raised an eyebrow at that. Even now, as he ascended the stairs to the rooftop door and pushed it open, his eyebrow was still raised. The wind on the top deck was fresh. It was just the end of the season of wet cold. It was time for the season of dry cold, and so the winds were picking up and chilly, a few little gods of the cold swung by past him.

He let his yosi warm him as he walked over to the edge of the rooftop. 

There, standing with her back straight, arms crossed, was Inday. Like always, she had her hair up in a strict and severe ponytail. He was eyeing someone near the ground floor. Martinez walked up to her, stepping with the balls of his feet so as to not make any sound. 

Then, he said: “Uy, what you looking at baby?”

Inday blinked-- _ was that a fragment of surprise-- _ and she shook her head.  _ Did I surprise her?  _ Martinez couldn’t bite back the grin. “The reason why I called you here,” Inday replied, nodding at the throng of men standing outside the school gates. A rival gang, from Saint Maria High.

“What the…” Eyebrows furrowed, Martinez scoffed. He blew out some smoke from his yosi. “What’re the chumps from Saint Maria doing here in Our Lady of Atocha?”

“Kilumkilom.”

Martinez turned to Inday. With a breath, she removed her glasses and let it hang from her blouse. Her eyes--bright brown in the light of the receding sun--glowed. “I’m here to propose a pact.”

“Pact?”

“Yes. I know that you’re the bancho of the gang here in Our Lady of Atocha.”

Martinez blinked, then he realized what she was saying. He grinned, leaning against the wired latticework fence of the rooftop. “Ah I see. And you’re the sukeban of the group of girl delinquents here eh?”

Inday didn’t say anything, letting Martinez connect the dots. She simply watched him with that half-lidded gaze.

“I see what you’re saying.” He pushed himself off of the fence, turned, and surged forward. Inday dodged back to evade whatever he was going to throw, but instead slammed against the fence itself. Her eyebrows furrowed, she looked up to see Martinez one hand against the fence, clutching it, pinning her down against it, and the other removing the yosi from his mouth, blowing smoke out away from Inday, and then crushing it beneath the heels of his leather shoes. “What you’re saying is.” He wiped his lip with a hand wrapped in a gauze bandage. In between the seams of the bandages Inday could see the numerous scars and open blisters. “You want to get married.”

Inday blinked. “What?” She looked down, away from Martinez’ eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Catacutan, come on now,” he began. But he already pushed himself off, knowing full well that Inday could easily knee him and turn the tide. “Bringing both of our families together…? A blood feud? A pact? We’re getting married, my beloved.”

“Martinez,” Inday pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you hear yourself speaking?”

“I know every single word that comes out of my mouth, babe.”

“Then I suggest that you rein them back in and shut up. Listen to me.”

Martinez, did in fact, stop. He turned and raised an eyebrow, pushing back stray strands of hair with his bandaged hand. “I need your help,” said Inday. “The reason they’re here is because they want to form a pact with me. I don’t want to. The Saint Maria gang are a bunch of backstabbing balimbing who only want power, not strength of family.”

Martinez put both of his hands on his waist, thinking. Admittedly, Inday was impressed at his skill of not letting the jacket fall from his shoulders.

“So you want me to fight them back?”

Inday nodded. “So?”

Martinez grinned, and he pulled his jacket off from his back, letting his wings full breadth. “I’m in. As long as you kiss me in the end.”

Inday raised an eyebrow, and said: “Okay.”

Martinez was already about to burst into the air when Inday answered. When he heard her words, he stumbled and slammed against the fence. When he turned around to ask, “wait did you agree?”

Inday was already in the air, arcing through the sky and then plummeting down to meet the rest of her girl group, all wearing the same black and red uniform, already rushing forward to join their sukeban leader as if she were leading a cavalry charge. Martinez’ own gang was already restless, looking around, wondering what to do.

Martinez took to the skies and joined them, screaming: “Dead Kids, to me!”

His gang all screamed in boisterous laughter and joined the charge. The boy and girl gangs of Our Lady of Atocha warred with the gangs of Santa Maria.

The bancho of Santa Maria harrumphed at the indignity and, when he realized that there was no way he was going to win, ordered a tactical retreat, sending the rest of the gangs that haven’t been knocked out back into the edges of the city. To lick their wounds, to treat their diseases, whatever it may be.

The gangs of Martinez and Inday hooted and hollered as they drove away the other kids, and they started drawing on the faces of those they had knocked out with permanent marker. Sukeban Inday and Bancho Martinez stood at the front of it all, on top of the pick up truck they’d used to get here in the first place.

Martinez glanced at Inday, saw the blood dripping from her lips. “Hey, you got something.” He reaached out with his hand and wiped away the dripping blush. Inday blinked, and then grabbed Martinez’ hand, keeping it there on her lip, fingers brushing her cheek.

Martinez blinked.

“Thanks, Martinez,” she said.

Martinez swallowed, and then shrugged. “Now you owe me a fucking kiss,” he said, grinning. He pulled his hand back. “As long as you owe me that kiss, you owe me.”

“Let me kiss you then,” said Inday, stepping forward.

Martinez, quick on his feet, grabbed Inday’s cheeks, leaned forward and pecked her on the forehead. “Sorry mahal ko,” he said, moving his lips to her ears. “You have to give it to me. That was the pact, remember?” And then he flew back over to his boys and fled the school grounds, laughing. As he did, he turned and gave Inday a cheeky, grinning wink.

Inday exhaled, eyes slightly twitching as she watched Martinez mouth: “call me”. She stomped once, and the pick up truck split in half.


	2. 2章

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martinez needs some help.

That night, chilling at a nearby Family Mart, Inday talked with her two viziers. A woman named Yasi, who repeateedly played with a metal yo-yo, and Kaori, who balanced herself on her skateboard. 

Inday was deep in thought, sipping in her banana milk carton. 

“Boss, what do we do?” asked Yasi. “As long as you owe that slack Martinez a kiss, you’re under him. Them’s the rules of the Gang Code.”

“I know,” replied Inday, staring at the glass walls of the Family Mart. “I’m not stupid, Yasi. I’m the top of the class and the student council president of Our Lady of Atocha for a reason.”

“Heh, that’s our Seitokacho!” said Kaori, who slipped off of her skateboard and began munching down on her siopao. “Anyway, we still need a way to ambush the guy. Kilumkilom? Yeah, he’s a slippery motherfucker.”

“He’s the bancho, so of course.”

“And one of the top bancho of the school district. Just below Andrade and Reza.”

Inday narrowed her eyes, sipped on her banana milk. “I need to find a way to get him to be alone.”

“Well, that should be easy, right?” said Yasi. “I mean, you’ve already done it before.”

“The rooftop!” said Kaori.

Inday shook her head. “Kilumkilom isn’t dumb. It’s not going to work on him a second time. He knows I’ll be doing anything to get to kiss him.” At that thought, she crushed her banana milk and slammed her fists on the table. She removed her glasses and put them down. “Damn him.”

“Oooh, sukeban,” said Kaori, removing her school blouse and only wearing a tank top underneath. “He’s got you around his finger.”

Inday mopped her face. 

“Oooh, sukeban,” Yasi said this time, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hand. “Don’t tell me you might be falling for him.”

Inday, face and body unmoving, moved her eyes to Yasi and gave her a devil glare. Yasi quickly looked away. “O-Or not. You know it’s just a debt, after all.”

“Be wary of your words,” she said, before going down and finishing her crushed banana milk carton.

They talked for a few more moments before the jeepneys began rolling into their street, signalling that it was time for Inday to go. She nodded at them and told her followers to be at schoolat 5:30. “We have to be early, ready the school, make sure that all exits and entraces are covered, understood?” She had ordered, and then told the two of them to relay that command to the rest of the gang. After that, she headed home, living on the twenty fifth floor of a stacktower in the business district, near the shore. 

She pondered on what she might be able to do. What kind of plan she might have to hatch up. Her head throbbed and she wanted to punch a wall, imagining Martinez’ face. Knowing that he has an up over her just because she owed her a kiss. Such a simple request.

Inday wasn’t angry at Martinez, she was angry at herself for being stupid enough to accept it.

_ But I had to. Or else those Saint Maria kids won’t stop hounding me. _

She mopped her face and readied the bath. As she did, however, there was a knock on her door.

Inday blinked. She turned around and walked over to the door. As she did, however, the window to her apartment slid open, and a man flew in.

“Nice place,” said the man, who turned out to be a boy around her age as well. His eyes were mismatched: green and crimson. His hair a natural platinum blonde. He wore his schools’ jacket cleanly and neatly, tailored to suit him perfectly. He even had gloves on, as if unwilling to touch anything with his bare fingers. The emblem on his school jacket betrayed who he was and where he was from: Colegio de San Ildefonso.

“Andrade.”

“Greetings, Crimson Ghoul,” said Andrade. A bruse had formed just below his left cheek. Part of his jacket was tattered, ripped. A few cuts underneath his eyes, fresh. “Whatever you do, don’t open that door.”

Inday crossed her arms. “I don’t take orders from you.”

“Ah, of course, feistly little thing. But truly, if you do value your life,” and a wing sprouted from his back. A wingarm, with a hand gripping a sword. It readied to swing, and if it swung it would’ve cut Inday’s entire apartment in half. “You will do as I say.”

“Oy I’m sorry if I’m gonna barge in but I’m barging in!” The doorknob twisted and Martinez barelled in. The next few moments happened at the speed of a lightning flash: Martinez’ blade wings were up and catching Andrade’s sword swing as it fell upon the both of them. 

The muscles on Inday’s arms grew taut, strained, rippled, and her talons erupted from her hands, and she went up and  _ shattered  _ Andrade’s sword blade.

“Hm.” Andrade stepped back. “Hassle.”

Inday and Martinez stood side by side, claw and blade. “If you don’t want a mess in your hands, Andrade, then you’re gonna turn around and get the fuck out of here.”

“I can kill both of you easily.”

“Yeah but it’ll take all of you. And maybe leveling an entire city block. What’s it gonna be, pretty boy?”

Andrade scowled. “Outsmarted by a bird brain. How quaint. Enjoy your little respite. Keep your guard up.”

“Yeah that’s what I fucking thought!” Martinez yelled at Andrade as he slipped out of Inday’s window and into the setting sun sky. “Ah fuck.”

Martinez fell forward, and Inday was like a blitz, catching him in the space of a breath. She turned him over and she realized the following: 

One, his school jacket was gone, and his polo had been ripped, revealing only parts of his skin and sando.

Two, he was wounded. Heavily. He was bleeding, and parts of his skin had been ripped. Bruises formed around his shoudlers and chest. He was going to need some medical attention. 

Third: his jaw was tense, and his hair was untied. Still, he grinned. “So this is what it feels like to be in the arms of an angel.”

“You need medical attention.”

He shook his head. “No, no,” he coughed. “I’m… built differently. Don’t worry about me. I’ll heal.”

Scowling and with eyebrows furrowed, Inday said: “No.”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

“Ye--What?”

“If you say so.” Inday carried him over to the sole bed that she had in the apartment. “Rest, there. I’ll get you some salabat.”

“Thanks. That should help,” he said, although he couldn’t stop from wincing.

Inday could tell that Martinez was watching her as she heated the water and prepared the salabat. Whenever she would look over her shoulder, Martinez would close his eyes, pantomiming another wince.

A minute later, she turned and walked over to Martinez, who kept his eyes closed. “Your salabat. I know you’re awake.”

“Ah salamat.” He pushed himself up. He removed his jacket and polo. “Ah, sorry, is it all right if I remove my clothes? It might impede the mending.”

“I don’t mind.”

He removed his sando. His skin mended and healed and sutured on their own, as if being cauterized but at a slow rate. He took the salabat and sipped. 

“Here, some cookies.”

Martinez couldn’t help but smile. “Wow, you’re being really kind today.”

“Are you implying I’m not kind?”

He smiled and spread his hands, saying: “Ah, the great Crimson Ghoul, Empress of the Night, Seitokaicho of Our Lady of Atocha!” He looked down at her lopsidedly and said, “Let’s just say it’s not something I expected.”

Inday wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words. “Sleep, then. Rest.”

“Wait,” he looked around. “This is your only bed. You don’t even have a couch or anything. I can’t do that.”

“No. It’s okay.”

He bit his lip. Inday stared.

“Oh ano? Why are you staring?”

“I’m not staring.” Inday turned. She didn’t want to bathe while  _ he  _ was in here. Instead she turned and closed the door, locking it. She went back to him eating the cookie.

“Hi. I saved one for you.”

She blinked. “You saved a cookie for me? They’re for you, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s all right. Please.”

She frowned. “What were you doing? Why are you beat up?”

He froze, then, with an insufferable grin he said: “What’s this? The Crimson Ghoul? Concerned for the Winged Night?”

“Shut up and answer me.”

“Oh no need to be so spiky, my moon and stars.”

“Moon and stars?”

“But if you are so concerned for my well being, then let’s just say Andrade found an opportune time to strike me on my way back home.”

“You didn’t have your lackeys with you?”

Martinez shook his head. “After that fight? Nah, they deserved their rest.”

Inday, still scowling, said: “How did the great Winged Night get attacked by the Dragon of the East then?”

“I was--” and the next few words he said were muttered so low that they were unintelligible.

“What? Speak up or I’ll open your jaw.”

“I was feeding a dog.”

“You were feeding a dog?”

“Yeah. And Andrade struck. Not my best time for sure. Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“Andrade has been out for your neck recently.”

“It’s because I stole some of his people. He hates that.” He grinned. 

“Mmhm. All right then. What made you think to go to me?”

“You’re the only one I know that can match me in a fight. If Andrade was going to attack, he wouldn’t be able to take both of us on without huge casualties.”

Inday frowned again, but she saw the logic, the tacticality of the move. She nodded, finally. “Okay. I see.”

“See? The inseparable duo of Winged Night and Crimson Ghoul!”

“What makes you think I want to be paired up with you?”

Martinez leaned back and groaned. “You do.”

Inday clenched her fist. 

A tense silence. The only thing that made sound were the busses down below and the whirring of the small electric fan that Inday could afford. The tension was drawn so taut that you could cut it with a scissor.

Instead Inday cut it with: “Let me kiss you.”

“Haha. What?”

“Let me kiss you,” she repeated, moving up to Martinez. “So that I don’t owe you one anymore.”

“You know, technically since you saved me, I would owe you.”

“Even better,” replied Inday, and she reached for his face.

Martinez--wincing still--pushed away from her. “Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute.”

“What? You’re the one that asked for it.”

“Make sure it’s good.”

“What?”

“Make sure the kiss is good, or it won’t con’t.”

Insufferable piece of shit. Inday grabbed Martinez and put her leg over his body, sitting on top of his chest. She leaned down close, closer, closer. Martinez could feel her cold breath, against his own warm exhale. 

When their lips met, Inday wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course, she’d kissed before. But when their lips met, and she made sure to include the slightest pinprick of a tongue, she knew that there was something different.

It was quick. A second that lasted two infinities. She pushed herself off of Martinez. “Go sleep. You need the rest.”

Martinez blinked, mouth still half open, wounds closing now at a faster rate.

“I’m going to bathe. No peeking, or I’ll kill you.”

He nodded, as his lips twisted back into a grin. 

And so Inday bathed. She made sure to bring her clothes into the bathroom with her so she could change within. When she finished, she stepped out and saw that Martinez had fallen asleep.

Inday went about the usual chores, cleaning the room and throwing the trash, and when she finished everything she had to do, Martinez was still asleep. 

She smiled, despite everything. “What a piece of work.” She put down a blanket on the floor beside the bed and decided to sleep there, for the time being, just for now.

#

Just when Inday had fallen asleep, Martinez awoke. He was feeling a lot better now, his wounds had closed, had turned into scars that would never leave him. He turned and saw Inday on the floor, hair loose, in a small crown around her head. With the strands of stray hair on her face, she looked more vulnerable.

Martinez pushed himself off of the bed and carried Inday onto it instead. He took his clothes and bundled them under his arm. Then, leaning in close, he moved away some strands of hair from her forehead and kissed it. 

“Looks like I owe you,” he whispered, smiling.

He slid the window open and leapt out. As he did, he noticed that the plate of cookies was empty, even though he had only eaten one.

  
  



	3. 3章

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inday can't resist Martinez, and neither can he.

**When Inday opened her eyes, the window was open and she was on her bed.** Martinez was nowhere to be found, although he had left… his sando.

She mopped her face and went about her day, readying for school. Her clock told her that it was just before 5. Plenty of time to ready up. She washed up, changed her clothes, and pulled out a lunch she had prepared last Seventhday that would last her for the entire week.

She saw a stray black feather on the windowsill. She brushed it off and slid it closed.

Thankfully, much of the apartment wasn’t wrecked by Andrade’s attack. She made a mental note to buy an extra length of chain from the nearby hardware store as an extra form of protection.

Now in her uniform and munching on some langitiklap biscuits, she lined up for the jeep and made her way to Our Lady while the sun was still not up. Eventually, she arrived in front of the school gates just when the first light of the morning peeked over the horizon. 

As she got off the jeep, her posse was already standing. They had awoken extra early just for this confrontation. Yasi approached her while the rest of her gang--33 girls all in all, from all levels and from all sections--surrounded her. 

“Boss, we’ve made sure to implement watch upon all exits and entrances. We’ve put up a rotating watch order to make sure that there are always eyes on them.”

Inday tied her hair up into a ponytail. “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. But it’d be good to keep watch on them anyway.”

Kaori stepped forward then, blinking. “What? Why?”

“I managed to return the favor. I don’t owe him anymore.”

“Aw. I was looking forward to seeing it in front of everyone,” said Kaori, pouting.

“He  _ does  _ owe me, though.”

The girls around her all whispered and muttered and made the sound teenagers made when they felt that spear of kilig course through them as if thrown by Bathala on high. 

“Great! Although, it feels like our prep’s been… hm…  _ binalewala.” _

Inday shook her head. “No, it’s okay. Keep the guard, maybe loosen them up so that you don’t raise attention from the god-kings of campus.”

“Roger, sukeban!” And they all dispersed as more and more students began filing in. They didn’t want to look too suspicious, and so they began filing into their classrooms, pairing up with their friends.

Inday walked back to her own classroom and readied herself. Subconsciously she waited for Martinez to come back. They were in the same class, after all, so it only made sense. 

They went about their day, Inday making sure to ace the two long tests they had in the schedule, and before she knew it, the day was done. All this time, and no Martinez.

“Uy,” said Kaori, walking up to her as Inday fixed her bag. “Martinez didn’t show up. What happened between two of you?”

“Something. It’s all right.”

“Do we go look for him?” asked Yasi, with another dangerous smile.

Inday shook her head and said, “No, no. It’s all right. Be sure to watch your backs, let’s keep our head down low.”

“That’s kinda hard,” said Kaori. “We did beat back the Saint Maria boys just yesterday.”

“They won’t try to get back at us until they’ve managed to recuperate. That won’t be the case in a long while. Go on now. Didn’t you ask to have the day off today for your date?”

Kaori grinned. “Thanks, sukeban.”

Inday didn’t respond. Yasi hooked her arm around Kaori.

“Maybe someday we’ll find you someone, sukeban,” said Yasi. “Or maybe that someone is right in front of you and you just don’t know it.”

Inday turned and shot Yasi a glanced, but it wasn’t as pointed as she wanted it to be. There was a mix of uncertainty, of questioning, of maybe. She didn’t respond. She finished fixing her bag.

“Bye sukeban.”

“Watch your backs,” Inday reiterated, before Yasi and Kaori disappeared into the halls of the school.

Once Inday had finished fixing up, she decided that this was one of the few times she’d be able to do something for herself, instead of doing captain work for her gang and seitokaicho work for the student council. A time of absolute peace, of rest. Something she did not know she would ever feel.

She wanted to feel like a weight would be lifted off of her shoulders because of this, but it didn’t. She just felt something tugging stronger at her heart, as if pulling her chest down, as if she didn’t deserve to feel so relieved.

She walked out of the gates. She wanted to buy some iced coffee, maybe. In a cafe, perhaps. There’s a lot of them here in this ward of Biringan. She could use it. Some time to listen to some music, maybe catch up on her favorite manga that she hadn’t been able to follow.

She almost did it. Almost. She was just about to round that corner, walk up to that cafe nestled inbetween two restaurants.

_ Oh I hope the regret doesn’t settle in too quickly.  _ She turned around and called for a tricycle. She knew where Martinez lived. Just by the shore, a few blocks away from her. In a smaller apartment complex.

#

Inday got off the tricycle just before the street where the gates to his complex were. She paid the driver and slowly walked up to the corner. But, as she rounded it, she stopped herself and disappeared back to the corner.

She peeked out, and saw Martinez, bandages all over his body, wearing a fresh jacket and his school polo. He was leaning against the wall beside the gates of his apartment complex, talking with a girl wearing a sundress, a leather jacket, and leather boots. She was crossing her arms as they spoke.

A few moments passed, and they spoke with each other at length. Inday, using her aswang physique, closed her eyes and knelt down, eventually managing to hone in on their conversation:

“What do you think? Will you consider it?”

“Faye, I don’t know if--”

“Marty, please. I urge you to reconsider. For me?”

A silence, and then, “I’ll think about it. Give me some time.”

“You’ll know where to find me.” Then the sound of a kiss. Then, her boots clacking, walking away, followed by the sound of an imploding cloud.

Inday could hear Martinez sighing, turning and punching the stone wall once. She tried her best to listen in if he was going to say anything more, but he didn’t. She opened her eyes and looked up--

\--only to see Martinez there, looking down at her, arms crossed and grinning. “Uy, how’s it going my moon and stars.”

She blinked. She forced herself to rise to a stand. No way was he going to catch her off guard here. “I suppose you like radio shows.”

“Why didn’t you go to school today, Kilumkilom?”

“Why? You miss me?”

“You’re one absent away from being forced to restart the entire grade.”

Martinez’ grin broadened. “No I’m not.” He leaned in closer. “You just missed me, didn’t you? You were worrying about me?”

“Your wounds have healed?”

Martinez nodded. “They have, my love.”

“Then why didn’t you go to class?”

Martinez sighed and shrugged. “Because I didn’t want to.”

“That’s not a valid excuse. And as your seitokaicho, I see it my responsibility to see to it that students like--”

“Aw come on now, you don’t actually do this with any of the students, seitokaicho. I’m flattered that you consider me so special.”

“I don’t, Kilumkilom. You are a bancho. Of course the school will keep an extra eye on you.”

“Ah, but is that  _ really  _ the reason, Catacutan?” He leaned against the stone wall. “Or did you really just want to check up on me?”

“It is. But I also did want to check up on you.”

“Ah but--wait. Ha?”

“I wanted to check on you. I asked you if your wounds were okay. I was worried. I woke up and you weren’t there.”

Martinez nodded, inhaling and exhaling. “Yeah, well. Aha, you know me, running away all the time from the things I like the most.”

Inday narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”

Martinez sighed. His hair was untied. He ran his fingers through it. “It means I like you, seitokaicho.”

Inday blinked, and then said, “Was my kiss that good?”

“I liked you before that.”

“Hm. Then, who was the girl you were with?”

Martinez sputtered a few words, and then pressed them together. Then he said, “Why do you want to know?”

Inday pressed the bridge of her nose, saying: “Just… tell me. Come on.”

“I’d be more convinced to tell you if I had a good reason.”

“What would be a good enough reason?”

“Maybe because you’re jealous?”

Inday paused. “Why would I be jealous?”

Martinez grinned. “Because you like me back?”

A quick fist to the gut. Martinez doubled over, clutching his stomach. “Ow, you just opened a wound.”

Inday stared down at him.

“But I like a girl that can punch me.”

“Tell me Martinez, or I’ll snap your neck.”

“Do it,” said Martinez, forcing himself up. “You’re my burial.”

Inday stared at Martinez for a few more moments, and then said, “Is she a friend? An old enemy?”

“Duck.”

“Duck?”

Without another word, Martinez reached out and grabbed Inday’s head, pushed it down, and swung his bladewing, blocking a stray bullet that had been fired from two gunmen behind them. 

“Go.”

A simple enough command. Inday was quick, like lightning, and Martinez perfectly matched her speed. They dispatched of the two gunmen easily enough. 

Their emblem was open for all to see. “Colegio de San Ildefonso,” said Martinez. “Fucking great.”

“Andrade must really not like you,” said Inday.

“Yeah you think?”

Swordsmen this time fell upon them from the rooftops. Inday and Martinez stood back-to-back, surrounded as more gunmen appeared behind them. They were cornered in the middle of an alleyway. No way of going out. 

They couldn’t call for help either. No one would want to get in the crossfire of a Skirmish.

“You think we can take ‘em out?” asked Martinez.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

They burst into action. Quick shadows, one crimson and another nadir abyss. They made sure to watch each other’s backs, catch blows meant for the other, kill or decapitate or break those that had been stunned by the other. A whirlwind of violence.

When there was only a handful left, that girl appeared again. 

“Faye,” said Martinez. He was covered in blood. Once again, Inday marveled at his ability to keep his jacket on his shoulders. “What’s with this plot?”

“I thought your precious Inday would be somewhere near. She couldn’t resist.”

Inday narrowed her eyes. “What the hell are you talking about.”

“Andrade told me.”

“You’re weaker than Andrade, Faye. You won’t be able to beat us.”

“I mean, sure, but Andrade was alone. Maybe if I sent in some people to butter you up… we could count it as foreplay.”

She snapped her fingers, and more gunmen, swordsmen, and axemen appeared, leaping down from the roofs, appearing out of corners, bursting out of shadows. Inday and Martinez continued their violent waltz, blocking and defending, maiming and damaging. But they were getting slower, their defenses’ holes widened. A bullet passed through Inday shoudlerbone, ripping at her uniform. An axe chopped into Martinez’ thigh. 

When they were surrounded in a corona of blood, them the eye of the monsoon, Faye appeared again. This time alone. She brought out a three-tailed flail, each one ending with a differently colored gem. “Oh, I’ve always wanted to use this on you, sun of my life.”

Inday blinked. “Sun of my life?”

Before Martinez could answer, the three flails burst forward like three vipers. Martinez stepped in front of Inday, catching the three-tails of the flail. Without missing a beat, Inday stepped to his front, caught the three flails, and  _ pulled. _

Faye was hauled forward, but she twisted in the air and flipped over them instead of falling into Inday’s grasp. Wincing, she burst forward, aswang wings now carrying her with the speed of her scorn.

Faye let go of the flail and parried Inday’s fist. They engaged, a weaving interlocking exchange of fists and feet. Block, strike, counter. “You think you’d be better for Martinez than me?”

“Who are you, even?”

“I’m hurt he hasn’t talked about me with you.”

“I didn’t think anyone could love him.”

Faye blinked, smiled, dodged a low sweep from Inday. “Oh, young aswang girl. When one falls in love with Martinez it is like death: it is not something you want, but it is something that will happen the least you expect.”

Inday let her guard down. Faye took it. Her hand sharpened like a knife, she cut at Inday’s belly, and then at her arm. When she readied to cut down at Inday’s neck, Martinez was there, catching her sharpened hand with his own. 

“Sun of my life,” said Faye. “Why?”

“Faye, I like her, okay.”

“But I’m here now.”

“You were before. I’ve moved on. I’ve changed everything after you left us.”

“Martinez,” said Faye. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know. That’s not the problem here, right now. The problem is: you’re a part of my past. I don’t care if Andrade hired necromancers to bring you back. I have my life, you have yours.”

Faye frowned. “But what if I want is you?”

“Then I’m sorry.” With that, Martinez parried her next strike, leaving her quite open, and Inday lunged forward, sending a fist straight down her sternum.

She flew backwards, slammed against the stone wall behind her. Sputtering blood, she pushed herself off of it and called her three-tailed flail back. Blood spilled from an open wound on her cheek. “I respect your decision, Martinez.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m not sure how much Andrade will, however.”

“I know.”

Using the flail, she swung to safety.

Inday collapsed. Martinez caught her before she slammed against the pavement. “Oy, oy. Quick, we have to get you somewhere safe. You’re bleeding.” He couldn’t help but smile, although he knew this was not the time for it. Inday wished she had the strength to punch it out of him. “Wait, you’re an aswang right? Why don’t I let you eat some of me?”

“Are you mad?” she said, followed by a rattling cough.

“No. But… it’ll heal. Eventually. Come on, take a bite.”

“You’re mad.”

“I am.”

“I can’t eat you,” she said, coughing again.

“I’d rather be eaten by you than be fed by a thousand others.”

It was quick. Martinez could see the growing desperation, the growing hunger in her eyes, which had begun to cloud over with red skies. She bit at the soft flesh on his palm, and then sucked the blood.

Martinez winced, but he let it happen. He clutched Inday tighter. Tighter.

When she was done, she let go. There wre bite marks on Martinez’ palm, but no flesh was gone.

“You didn’t eat me.”

“I don’t need to,” she said, as her wounds began to heal, although not her uniform. “All I need is blood.”

“Well, all I need is you.”

Inday still looked a bit shell-shocked. Her eyes were still somewhat fuzzy, as if she couldn’t see straight. “Come on, then. I’ll get you back home.”

  
His back sprouted wings, blacker than night, and he flew Inday back to her apartment.


	4. 4章

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lull, as a treat. Everyone needs a rest.

Back at Colegio de San Iledefonso’s student council room, which was fashioned in a throne room fit for a king, Andrade with chin resting on an open hand. His elbow rested upon the throne made of blackened bones.

Faye walked in frowning. “Seitokaicho,” she spoke.

“You failed,” he said.

Faye swallowed. “It was entirely my fault, Seitokaicho. I have no excuse.” She knelt down. Andrade, using his wing arms, plucked the three-tailed flail and used it to choke and bind Faye.

“I didn’t bring you back from Sulad so that you can fail me.” He pulled and she was dragged across the marble floor. “But I suppose you did underestimate their strength.”

“But, milord,” she coughed. The three-tailed flail loosened up. “They are weakening. Our constant attacks have brought them low.”

Andrade watched Faye as she clawed at her neck as the three-tailed flail tightened. She started shaking her head, tears poured from her eyes. 

Andrade loosened and said, “I suppose then that it is time to finally bring them down. If I let Kilumkilom and Catacutan go unimpeded, they will overtake us in strength. And he did not listen to your proposition?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, milord. He has… He is thoroughly changed.”

“I suppose that’s what love does to you, that poison to the heart.”

“What do we do, milord?”

Andrade thought again. “We tried splitting them up, but they somewhat have an impeccable knack for finding each other. Hassle.”

“Indeed.”

“Are you jealous, Faye?”

Faye shook her head. “Death lets you forget whatever fire burned for a person. I no longer yearn for him.”

Andrade nodded. “Good. That’s what I like to hear. Do you have any suggestions, dear pet?”

Faye bit her lip, and then said, “Why don’t we bunker down here and wait? Collect all the henchmen we have left, wait for them to come?”

“What makes you think they will come here to Colegio de San Ildefonso?”

“If my hunch is right, then Martinez shouldn’t have changed all that much. I mean, he skipped school to go out with me, after all.”

The throne room became empty, a silent song sung by the skulls that lined the walls.

#

Martinez bought cookies from the Heaven Alipin at the ground floor because he didn’t know how to make any. He opened them and put some on a plate, and heated some water on salabat.

When Inday woke up, Martinez was there chaining her windows shut. She didn’t try to get up at first. She was still in her school uniform, although there was no more sun in the sky.

“Kilumkilom?”

He stopped, then he said, “Catacutan. How are you feeling?”

She pushed herself up to a sitting position. “Good. You?”

“I’ve been better.” More gauzes and bandages. Inday saw her trashcan had its trash bag recently replaced. “But at least I’m here with you.”

Inday sighed. “You should go.”

“No,” said Martinez. “Andrade might ambush me again. I’ll stay here for the night and leave during school hours.”

“School hours. The period of neutrality.”

Martinez nodded. “That’s right. I have some brain in here.”

“I never would’ve guessed.” She turned and tried to push herself off of the bed, but Martinez was there, grasping her by the shoulder. 

“Hey, take it easy. You were almost killed. Go ahead and rest.”

“So were you,” she said.

“I can take it.” He turned and grabbed a plate. “Here, have some cookies. Besides, I owe you, remember. Well, doubly now. You fought with me against Faye.”

“Do you like getting debts?”

“For you? Yeah. It means you’ll keep hunting me down,” he said, winking at her.

Inday stared down at the plate. Store-bought cookies. Oiro. “Oiro?”

“Triple-stuffed,” said Martinez, as he moved over to the chain and finished locking it. “There, that should be enough.”

Inday nibbled on the oiro. It tasted great. It’s been a while since she’s tasted triple-stuffed oiro.

“Thanks.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you, Kilumkilom, for the oiro. They taste great.”

Martinez blinked, and then scratched the back of his head. “A-Ah, yeah! Of course. No problem. You can have both of them. I actually don’t know why I only put two on the plate. There’s an entire packet in the fridge.”

Inday nodded again, quick to wipe away the wetness forming on her cheeks.

“Anyway, I’ve barricaded the place. We should be safe until neutral hours. Keep sleeping there, there’s some salabat by the bed to help you sleep again if you can’t.”

“Where will you sleep?” She stared at the Oiro.

“All I need to sleep is a table and a chair.” He sat down. “I’ve had a lot of practice in class, you see.”

Inday watched him accidentally slam his head against the table. “Aray,” he said before resting and positioning himself for optimal table-head sleep.

Inday finished the Oiro, and then said, “We’re going to have to nip this problem in the bud.”

“Hm?”

“Tomorrow. I have a suggestion. We can end all of this, for the meantime. We don’t have to live scared for our lives every after hours.”

“How do you suppose we do that?”

Inday settled back into the bed. “Reza. Loyola High.”

Martinez lifted his head, “Are you serious? You think he’s going to converse with us?”

“Just a small favor. I think we’ll be able to manage it. He and Andrade have been vying for top spot for quite some time now, remember?”

“So you want to take advantage of that?”

“Yes.”

“God, you’re hot whenever you think.”

Inday blinked. “I’m always thinking.”

“I said what I said.”

“Go to sleep.”

“Roger, seitokaicho,” and with a sleazy smile and salute, he slammed his head back down on the table.

Inday winced. She thought for a bit, looking at his ripped and torn jeans and shirt. Biting her lip, she moved herself a bit to the side of her bed, and then said, “Hey.”

“I’m sleeping. Zzzz.”

“You can sleep beside me.”

“ZZZZZZ.”

“I know you can hear me.”

Martinez lifted his head. “Just had to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming or anything.”

She shook her head. “You’re not. There’s enough space in the bed. Come on. Your body needs some rest.”

Martinez smiled. “Miss Catacutan, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I can rest when I get back home. I’m not planning on going to bed anyway.”

“Inday.”

Martinez made a sound, Inday wasn’t quite sure what it was. “What?” he asked.

“Call me by my name. Inday.”

“Miss Catacutan if this is to get back at me for showing you my ex then it’s not going to work.”

“I’m jealous,” she said. 

Martinez made another sound. He wasn’t lifting his head.

_ Di sila nagtitinginan, puta. Di nila alam kung anong nakikita ng isa’t isa. Kung ano ang hawig ng mukha. Kung anong maskara ang sinusuot. Kung paano ang hulma ng hindi-inaasahan. _

“I’m jealous. I thought you liked me?”

Martinez looked up. “I do.”

The buses and cars on the ground floor framed their conversation. 

“Then call me by my name.”

“Catacutan I’m--”

“Martinez.”

Martinez looked away. He had to. He couldn’t stare. He wanted to stand up and run away but he’d barricaded the doors.

“Miss Catacutan I thought we had a professional--” he turned and saw Inday, staring at him from the edge of the bed.

  
“I want to sleep with someone.”

Martinez wiped at his mouth. “I’m sorry but--”

“Fine. I’m sorry.” She turned and nestled into the far edge of the bed, swaddling herself in her blankets. “Sleep there.”

Martinez wanted to punch the wall a couple of times. And then he felt like punching it a couple of times more when he realized what he was doing. When he realized his feet moving on their own, slipping onto the bed beside her. 

Unknowing, as if a primal need, a great want overwhelmed him, he slipped his hand to embrace her, making sure that none of her wounds would be touched or jostled. 

Inday didn’t move. Her breathing was normal. Was normal. How could it be so normal? Martinez realized that she was warm. That was strange, she had always been so cold before. She had always been so cold before.

“Inday,” he whispered into her ear. His breathtoo warm. His heart beating faster than it had ever before. He felt like a string pulled too taut, ready to snap, ready to collapse at anything more.

She gave him part of the blanket and slept on his shoulder. “Goodnight, Martinez.”

#

The next day, they relayed their plans to their respective groups. Inday to Yasi and Kaori, and Martinez to Asterio and Has.

“Teka, bancho,” said Has, tilting his chair back. “So what I’m getting at is that,  _ you  _ want us to work with Reza Awitan,  _ the Reza Awitan,  _ the King of Loyola High, to destabilize and overtake Andrade.”

Martinez nodded, sitting on the raised platform of the rooftop. “We hit two birds with one stone: we get to remove Andrade from the equation, and we’ll be quits with Reza since we helped him.”

“Yeah but isn’t it zero sum, then?” said Asterio, sucking on a lolipop. “We don’t have anything to use against him.”

“We’ll deal with that problem when it comes to it, but I’m sure that he’ll be more than willing to let it slide.”

“Bancho,” said Has. “If you manage to do this, you become number 2 gang.”

“Male gang,” corrected Martinez, and then shrugged. “But yeah.”

“You and Catacutan together make a good pair, bancho,” said Has. “I’ll still keep my guard up, though.”

Martinez nodded. “As you should. There’s no telling what Inday might do next.”

Asterio and Has froze, blinked.

“What?”

Asterio and Has glanced at each other, wondering if what they had heard was right, and then Has asked: “Inday?”

#

“Sukeban! Are you out of your mind?” It was Kaori, gesticulating with her arms. The rest of her girl gang looked at each other, wary, anxious. “That’s Reza we’re talking about! The top gang of this entire school district!”

“Exactly,” said Inday. “The only one that can take down Andrade. The only one higher than Andrade. If we work together, we can take Andrade down. Nip all of this in the bud.”

“It’s really dangerous, Sukeban,” stated Yasi, biting her lip. “It’s not something we might get out of easily.”

“Yes. But that’s why we’ll be pairing up with Kilumkilom’s gang. Together, we can take down the Dragon of the East.”

Kaori squatted down. “A three-way coalition between the Dead Kids, the Crimson Blades, and Reza’s own Azure Crowns.” She ran a finger down her chin. “If we can pull it off…”

Inday nodded. “We will. Martinez and I are heading to Reza’s while it’s still neutral hours. I’ve already spoken with the god-kings of campus. They’re letting only Martinez and I go. So stay here and hold the fort.”

She hadn’t noticed that her entire gang had stopped whatever they were doing. Mid Ice Cream lick, mid lollipop suck, a yo-yo spinning on and on until it lost all spin. 

“What?” she asked.

“Martinez?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get fucked


	5. 5章

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of Crimson Ghoul and Winged Night, but not without some splashes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Play a bunch of Martinday songs go

Loyola High was right by Akiniri River. There they managed to maintain a high degree of greenery and foliage, making the entir school look like a damn park. Martinez and Inday made their way through it, following a blazer wearing woman who walked with a strict and close-cut stride. No movement wasted.

“Follow my lead,” said Martinez.

“Your lead? No,” replied Inday.

Eventually they reached a hallway that ended in two large double doors. Before she opened them, she glanced behind her and said, “Behave accordingly.”

Martinez and Inday exchanged glances, before the woman pushed the doors open, leading into an expensive looking meeting room with walls and floor made of black marble. White statues of long dead ancestors watched the room.

There was a man in the middle of hte meeting room table, wearing a black turtleneck and his school pants. There were dark circles around his eyes, and his lip was freshly bruised.

“Ah, if it isn’t the Crimson Ghoul and the Winged Night.” He grinned warmly, and then a second slashed, and he was frowning. “I don’t like unscheduled announcements.”

Martinez opened his mouth to say something, but Inday cut him to it: “Reza Awitan, bancho of the Azure Crowns, number 1 Gang of the River School District.”

“Yes, that is me.”

“We’ve come to talk with you.”

“Yes why _else_ would you be here in my meeting room?”

“It’s about Andrade,” said Martinez. “We want to help you… eliminate him.”

Reza raised an eyebrow. When they waited for a reaction, he gestured with his hand. “Keep going. You haven’t convinced me yet.”

Martinez looked at Inday, but she didn’t look back at him. “I know you and him have history. I know there’s nothing more that you’d like than to bring him down. Make him submit to your gang.”

“Right. So what?”

“The gangs of Our Lady of Atocha are willing to work with Loyola High to undermine and destroy Andrade’s influence for good. The gangs of Colegio de San Ildefonso will be brought to heel and become your vassals.”

“I do like the sound of that. However, what’s in it for you, if I accept? I’m wary of agreements wherein only I will benefit.”

“We simply want Andrade off our backs for the time being.”

“Martinez, if we do this, Andrade will become obsolete. You will become No. 2.”

“And I won’t compete with you. At least, not yet.”

Reza raised an eyebrow. Then, he said, “Tell me your plan, then. I sure do hope you have one. Coming here without a plan is like facing an army alone without a sword.”

Martinez grinned, leaning forward on the meeting table. “Don’t worry. We do.”

#

The night before the attack, after Reza had accepted and made amends to the ambush that they wanted to make on Andrade, after they had gone back to their respective gangs to relay plans and to raise their morales, they went home.

Except they did not, in fact, go home to each other’s respective homes. No. Instead, the two of them made their way back to Inday’s apartment.

Martinez had done in under the guise of precaution. It was after neutral hours, after all. It was going to be dangerous. What if Faye attacked again? Thankfully, she didn’t, and they were able to go back to Inday’s palce without much event, without much hassle. For the first time, a day wihtout a severe wounding. 

“You want some iced coffee?” asked Martinez, as they stopped by the Heaven-Alipin at the bottom of Inday’s apartment. “I’ll pay.”

“Sure, Martinez.”

Martinez made a sound again.

“You’re really stupid when you do that,” she said.

“Hey, sorry, I can’t help it.”

“How do you know I’m being genuine?” she asked as she grabbed a donut. 

“That you like me? He shrugged. Let’s just say, wakwak intuition.”

“What if I suddenly said I didn’t like you?”

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

“What if it’s true?”

“Then I’ll cherish the time that you did like me.”

“What if you grew to like Faye again?”

Martinez snorted. “What, you’re still jealous? Hey, I chose you. I like you more.”

“Sun of my life?”

Martinez bit his lip. “Oh, so you _are_ jealous.”

“I am. Tell me.”

“Okay. Well, uh.” He mumbled something.

“What? Speak up.” She put the donut down and Martinez placed iced coffee and a box of pokki on the cashier. He paid.

“I--” and the next few words were unintelligible. They paid for the stuff and left, beginning their walk over to the lift and their ascent. Martinez prayed that there would be people in the lift, but when it opened, it was empty.

25 floors was really high up.

“Martinez,” she said. “Tell me.”

“We called each other sun of my life. It was our pet name toward each other. Before she died.”

Inday was silent for a bit, and then said, “So how many times have you used moon and stars?”

Martinez sniffed, stared at the ceiling. Avoided eye contact. “Never. Once. You.”

“Why moon and stars?”

“If I’m the Winged Night, wouldn’t it make sense? You’re the moon and stars to my winged night. Something like that.”

“But I’m the Crimson Ghoul.”

“A thousand monikers cannot pin you down, Inday.”

They were silent for the rest of the way until they returned to her room. Once inside, Inday turned and said, “Will you go home now?”

“Yeah.”

“Stay safe.”

“You’re not going to like, ask for a kiss or anything before I leave? You know, we might be facing certain doom if Reza decides to suddenly be a bitch and not stay true to his word. Or if Andrade unveils a super secret plan that he has that I’m a hundred percent sure he doesn’t.”

Inday smiled. “Stay safe, Martinez.”

Martinez smiled back. He turned around and tried to leave. Was already in front of the lift. The doors were swinging open. No people within the lift. His breath quickened. His chest constricted. It felt like dying, again. Again. 

He turned around and walked back to Inday’s apartment. She was still there.

“Hi,” he managed to blurt out. “You think I can stay with you for a few more minutes?”

“What? You’ll miss me?”

“Let’s just say I want to share some of that pokki.”

“You can buy your own.”

“And because I’ll miss you.”

“Of course you will.”

But Inday relented, letting him in just for a short while. Some company for the night. 

“You think we’ll make it out alive?” asked Inday. “This is good pokki. Thanks for buying it for me.”

“I knew you’d like it,” said Martinez, winking. “And of course we will. We’re the unstoppable Crimson Ghoul and Winged Night!”

“But what if we don’t? What if one of us dies? What if one of us gets captured?”

Martinez shrugged. “I don’t think about that stuff. It’ll go well, trust me. Look at how much we’ve planned. This is the most planning I’ve done ever since I’ve been born.”

“Kilumkilom, I’m serious. If we die tomorrow, what will happen to our gangs? To Our Lady of Atocha.”

Martinez leaned back, sighing. “No matter what happens, it’s not you that’s going to die. Keep that in mind.”

Inday narrowed her eyes at that, but she didn’t respond.

#

Before long, night deepened. Martinez knew it was time to go, he had to go sometime. He couldn’t stay here forever, as much as he wanted to. 

“Stay safe,” she said again, as he left. Martinez flew into the night, leaping out of the window once again. Inday watched him. When he was but a mere speck in the dark gloom of midnight, she inhaled and shut the window.

#

Reza, Martinez, and Inday watched as their combined forces marched into Colegio de San Ildefonso. No warning, in the middle of lunch break, a sudden ambush. No war horns were blown, no shouts of challenge. Just a clean and sudden rush in. Gunmen and swordsmen and spearmen fought with the Dead Kids, Crimson Swords, and the Azure Crowns. While the Dead Kids all wore some sort of skull based clothing and the Crimson Swords all wore school uniforms with red lining and a red ribbon, the Azure Crowns wore a gallant blue mantle around their shoulders, on top of their school uniform. They proudly presented their emblem.

They watched from the rooftops of one opposite building. Biding their time. The skirmish rocked the entire district. Police were beginning to file in, but they knew better than to step in on a large scale gang skirmish such as this.

As they watched, a pair of hooded Azure Crowns scaled up the side of the building that the three of them stood upon. Out here in the open, Reza threw his cigarette as they approached. “Well?”

“The opening has been secured, sir. An open window in the faculty office.”

“How far is Andrade’s meeting room?”

“Right beside the faculty room, sir. It’s connected to the school gym, which is on the highest floor of the Colegio.”

“Good.” Reza turned around to Inday and Martinez. “Go, soften him up for me. I’ll be there when I’ll be there.”

Inday nodded, and so did Martinez. The two Azure Crowns used cloth Fabromancy to manipulate their mantles and give them less efficient wings. The two of them led Inday and Martinez around the block, avoiding all potential watch outs from the side, and managed to get into the faculty office. When they got in, there were still a couple of teacher’s within. 

They brandished swords and rifles, but Martinez and Inday--with the help of the two Azure Crown fabromancers--managed to take them out without much trouble. Inday nodded them a thanks as they moved to the other room. Straigh into Andrade’s meeting hall.

Andrade’s meeting hall was not too different from Reza’s, although with the pretentiousness scaled up to much higher levels. Black marble floors, skulls mounted on the wall, bone pillars and a bone obsidian throne.

“Ah, so my guess was correct,” said Andrade as they burst into his halls. “And so was your hunch, Faye.”

Faye walked out of the shadows, three-tailed flail ready.

“Looks like it’s endgame for you, Andrade,” said Martinez.

“How does any of this look like endgame? Here we finish this little spat. This little quarrel. Suffer by my hand.” And he summoned both of his wingarms, both carrying giant swords.

“Do your best my moon and stars,” said Martinez, but Inday was already bounding straight toward Martinez, wings out and claws at the ready. Faye tried to interrupt her advance, but Martinez’ bladewings intercepted her, and they fought. 

Inday managed to hold her own against Andrade. A furious exchange of blows, each sword slamming against aswang-enhanced fists and wings, but Inday was exerting much more effort than Andrade, who was simply standing there and letting his wings do all the work. Eventually, the platinum-haired bancho, the Dragon of the East, found an opening in Inday’s defenses, and swiped with his sword, drawing blood and sending her flying straight back toward the bone pillars. Her glasses shattered, fell to the floor.

Martinez danced with Faye, a quick burning waltz of chaos. Bladewing weaving against three-tailed flail, neither one giving in. When Martinez managed to sneak a quick shadow blow against Faye’s lower leg, Faye grabbed him by his hair and threw him backwards, caught his leg with her three-tailed flail and flung him back against the same bone pillar that Inday had slammed against.

“Weak,” said Andrade. He hasn’t moved from his throne. “Finish the job, Faye.”

She slammed down with her flail and gems glowing bright, growing wicked claws, aimed straight at Inday. Martinez was quick once again, and he was in front of her, although this time he wasn’t able to catch the blows. The flail ends struck him, stinging his face, his knee, and his arm. Bright red gashes scourged the points of impact.

Inday bared her fangs.

In the next instant she was upon Faye, arms grabbing her head. She threatened to crush her, but Faye had preternatural strength of her own. She rolled backwards and threw Inday away, but the aswang caught herself in the air, twisted, and continued her assault.

Meanwhile, Martinez was there, hamstringing her with his bladewing while she wasn’t looking. She cried out in pain, fell to her knees, just as Inday swooped in and slammed her against the bone pillar, _through the bone pillar,_ and out of the wall of the school itself.

Panting, they regained their position in battle. Martinez, wincing, as he rose to his feet. Inday rushed over to him. 

“I’m okay.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I know you wouldn’t so inunahan na kita.”

But Inday couldn’t help but see the three points where Faye had struck. They sizzled with an ominous bright red. A fateful omen.

“Faye is gone,” said Andrade from across the hall. “But I am still here. And as long as I live, you will not.”

He rose from his seat, summoning phantom blades to strike at them from all angles. Martinez dove forward to move Inday away from the path of one incoming. “Stop staring at me you might die.”

Inday scowled. She picked Martinez up as she got to her feet, and flung him at Andrade.

Now the thing about Martinez is that he didn’t get the moniker “Winged Night” for nothing. He knew how to manipulate the shadows, the darkness. Of course Andrade would see a flailing idiot Martinez sailing through the air towards him. With a nonchalant wave of his hand, a sword descended upon that Martinez--

\--which dissipated into crows.

The crows dispersed and reformed behind Andrade. “Psst.” And he reached up, tried to grab Andrade by his wingarms. Andrade turned to swipe at him, moving backwards to make some space between them, when he fell into Inday’s arms, who twisted him around in mid-air, suplexing him straight down to the ground.

The black marble floor cracked.

Andrade still managed to move, but Martinez was there, bladewing slashing, cutting at his eye, causing golden ichor to spill out.

“Ah, god’s spit!” He stumbled backwards. “You’ll all regret this.” From behind him two more wingarms sprouted out. “And you’ll regret it _right now.”_

“I think not, bancho.”

Andrade froze. “Awitan.”

“Bantugan.”

Reza walked into the hallway with the majority of the gang coalition. They were victorious, holding stolen guns and spears and swords up high. “No escape, Andrade. Not this time.”

Andrade turned around, scowling. “No way will I be taken by someone like you.”

“Ah, but you already have.” Reza stepped forward and he was in front of Andrade, his hands over his eyes. In that strange floating instant as Reza performed the action, he leaned forward and kissed the back of his hand.

Andrade immediately disappeared, as if suddenly erased from existence.

Upon Reza’s hand a new ring glinted.

“That’s done,” said Reza, clapping his hands once. “How are the two of you?”

“We’re good,” said Martinez, wincing. “We’re in love now.” He put a hand over Inday.

Inday scowled and clutched at his polo.

“Those do not bode well, Martinez,” he said, motioning to the bright red spots. They had begun to spread, an all consuming void. The bright red had turned to abyssal black.

“Oh, fuck, huh.” 

He fell to his knees.

Inday, blinking, in half disbelief and half worry, fell quickly to her knees to catch Martinez.

Reza walked in closer. “Oh, my. A Death Poison,” said Reza. “I… Only someone who has died can enact that poison. Only someone that has traversed through Sulad and come back to the world of the living.”

“What?” Inday looked up at Reza. Reza saw that her cheeks were wet. “No, not now. We’ve come so far. Tell me there’s an antidote. A cure?”

Reza crossed his arms. “There’s… not much I can do about that, I’m afraid. Death Poison, harvested from dead corpse flowers in the forests of Sulad…”

Martinez chuckled. “God I had a hunch this would happen. At least I got to spend one last night with you.”

“You’re so fucking stupid,” said Inday, but her voice quivered, and so did her body.

“Inday, shit. I don’t think I’ll make it.” He winced again. With every beat of his heart, every rush of blood through his body, the black scars only grew. With every surge of pain, his grin only got wider. “At least you liked the pokki I got you. Fuck this hurts. Shit.”

“No, Martinez, wait--”

“No more waiting, my moon and stars. We all have our time.”

“I don’t want you to leave. Not yet.” Her voice softened. Her grip tightened. Never letting go. Never wanting to let go. “Please. It’s too soon. It’s too soon.”

Reza turned around and tried to corrale the people. He felt bad, just a grain. The bancho was going to be gone, and nothing more than the most skilled necromancers could bring him back. But a person like Martinez….

“Hey, Inday,” Martinez managed to cough out again. “Say my name again.”

“What?”

“Before I go. Say my name. I liked it when you said it.”

“I can’t. That would mean you’re going.”

“I’m going anyway, Catacutan.” He flicked her forehead. Every movement made him wince. Every movement sent shocks of pain. A long and prolonged death, a death only someone with the fury unmatched by a thousand wailing warriors could inflict. “Please. Make it easier for me.”

“Why does it always end this way?”

“As long as I end it with you, I could die a thousand deaths.”

She sniffed before saying: “Martinez, please.”

No answer.

“Martinez?” 

She didn’t want to open her eyes. 

“Martinez…?” 

The last one, like the final repetition in a mantra, was small and frail. She forced herself to look, saw Martinez’ eyes, still open, still looking at her. The last thing he wanted to see. His burial.

#

The number 2 gang in the River School District was the gang of Inday Catacutan, the Crimson Swords. She didn’t lead an all girls gang now, not anymore. She had the Dead Kids as a faction under her. They all deferred to her command, giving her loyalty. It was reverent, in a way, and full of respect.

Martinez had no burial. No burial for the bancho. Asterio and Has would say that Inday would be their bancho’s burial. She didn’t respond.

Of course, Inday herself, sukeban and seitokaicho, did her best to not show how much it affected her. That was what the sukeban was good at, after all. The Crimson Ghoul had to be strong for everyone else.

Our Lady of Atocha was never the same. 

She stood atop the rooftop of Our Lady of Atocha, watching through the steel latticework fence. She saw the kids from Saint Maria approach, and the Crimson Swords readied their arms.

She only watched. The sky was dimming. Soon it will be night. Soon it will be time for the Crimson Ghoul to hunt again. She bit on her pokki stick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe


End file.
